The Town FilesCeres, California
City in Stanislaus County · population 49,302 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $424,800
- Household income
- $79,025
- Jan low / Jul high
- 39° / 95°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 8
- Median age
- 32.8
Ceres is a city of 49,302 people in Stanislaus County, California. The median home is worth $424,800, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks easier by car than 86% of California towns, more vibrant than 85% of California towns, more walkable than 80% of California towns.
How Ceres ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Ceres is worth $424,800, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 5.4 times the median household income of $79,025, which is more affordable than 69% of California towns. Median rent is $1,639 a month. 64.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Ceres | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $424,800 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,639 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $79,025 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.4× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 64.4% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1986 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.3% | — |
Who lives in Ceres
| People | Ceres | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.8 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 11.9% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 27.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.7% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 15.9% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 3.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 27.8% | — |
| Work from home | 5.7% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 33.8 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 93.1% | 93.3% |
Weather in Ceres
July highs average 95.0°F and January lows 38.8°F. About 12.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 90 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 12 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ceres since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on April 27, 1953 about 3.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 1, 2025.
Severe weather in Stanislaus County since 1996
Stanislaus County has been included in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| August 22, 2020 | Fire | DR-4558: Wildfires |
Jobs and pay in Stanislaus County
Stanislaus County had 199,396 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $63,795 a year. Unemployment was 6.4% in 2023; in Ceres itself the ACS puts it at 10.2%.
Public schools in Ceres
22 public schools with 12,382 students, about 23.0 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Valley High | 9-12 | 2,336 | 22.9 |
| Ceres High | 9-12 | 1,713 | 22.8 |
| Cesar Chavez Junior High | 7-8 | 684 | 22.1 |
| Lucas Elementary | K-6 | 658 | 26.3 |
| Blaker-Kinser Junior High | 7-8 | 637 | 22.8 |
| Caswell Elementary | K-6 | 636 | 23.6 |
| Mae Hensley Junior High | 7-8 | 635 | 22.7 |
| Sinclear Elementary | K-6 | 599 | 24.0 |
| Samuel Vaughn Elementary | K-6 | 582 | 24.3 |
| La Rosa Elementary | K-6 | 557 | 25.3 |
| Carroll Fowler Elementary | K-6 | 527 | 24.0 |
| Patricia Kay Beaver Elementary | K-8 | 515 | 24.5 |
Towns near Ceres
- Bystrom, CA1.6 mi · 3,957 people · home $319,400
- Bret Harte, CA2.0 mi · 5,135 people · home $334,700
- Modesto, CA3.3 mi · 218,464 people · home $442,700
- West Modesto, CA3.8 mi · 5,965 people · home $304,700
- Keyes, CA4.2 mi · 5,672 people · home $344,100
- Empire, CA4.5 mi · 4,202 people · home $335,200
- Hughson, CA5.6 mi · 7,481 people · home $511,200
- Turlock, CA8.8 mi · 72,740 people · home $460,600
Ceres questions
Is Ceres, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Ceres scores better for retirees than 7% of California towns and quieter than 12%. 11.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 32.8).
How much does a house cost in Ceres?
The median owner-occupied home in Ceres is valued at $424,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $79,025, so homes cost about 5.4 times income. Median rent is $1,639 a month.
What is the weather like in Ceres?
July highs average 95.0°F and January lows 38.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 12.3 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Ceres get tornadoes?
8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ceres since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on April 27, 1953. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)